Subject:Draw
Entries
Entry 2855
To git them confused, you write it on a piece of paper and set a black candle on it and set it burning. [You write], "Ah want confusion," [and] put both of their names [on that paper]. You draw a heart with it. Draw their heart, I want it bad [badly drawn]. Yo' kin write bad in there. An' set that black candle on there burning with both of their names, "I want confusion." (You take a piece of paper and you draw a heart and you write in there bad. Where do you put their names?) You put their names in there - you write their names in, I want it bad. You don't draw the heart good - you even try to draw it, you know, as ugly as yo possibly can make things; and yo' say, "I want bad, I want it confused, I want thus and so, such parties." And set that candle right on their names and let it burn. (Do you burn that candle any special time? Or any length of time? Or any- thing like that?) Well, yo' would need to burn it a length of time but ah gen'rally would think that six 'clock and again in the evening time - let it burn at night.
Entry 3550
De stockin's [are] fo' love affairs. Now, dey kin take mah stockin's or mah socks - man or woman, don't make no diff'rence who it is, an' dey kin cut de toe of dat sock off an' de heel part of dat sock off, see. An' aftah dey cut it off, den dey tie it wit nine knots. Now dat's fo' love, [but] dat's not tuh drew [draw] dis love. It's lak if yo' loves a lady - ah should explain it tuh yo' lak dat. Jes' lak if ah loved a lady mahself an' she quit me fo' some othah man, an' ah don't want Ter tuh be intimate wit dis man. Prob'bly she could be wit 'im, but still she couldn't have no intahco'se wit 'im. Yo' undahstan'. All right, aftah ah cut de toe of 'er sock off heah an' de heel of 'er sock off - yo' know women don't har'ly wear stockin's now, some of dem wears socks now. Aftah ah cut dat off, ah takes me an' sets down, an' ah cuts it intuh a kin'a string-lak. Aftah ah cut dat off, see - ah wan'a show yo' whut ah'm talkin' 'bout. Ah think ah got a han'ke'chuf in mah pocket heah. Let dis kin'a be de toe of 'er stockin'. Ah cuts dat off, yo' undahstan'. Den ah takes an' tear dat, an' aftah ah tears dat, ah sits down an' ties me nine knots. See, nine knots In it in a diff'ren' form. An' aftah ah tie dose nine knots, ah pull dem darn tight. An' aftah ah tie dose nine knots, ah takes me a needle. Aftah ah git it all tied up, ah takes me a needle an' ah pins dat - see, wit de needle an' one of de pins. Now, [if] ah kin git a chance tuh git tuh her home, ah go tuh her home an' ah put dis in de middle of de bed. Prob'bly if it's too much [several beds] - if not, if it's only one, ah put it in de middle of it. [The center of a bed is the fifth pOint Of the quincunx.] NOW ANYBODY DAT SHE WANTS TUH INTAHCO'SE WIT, SHE CAN'T HAVE NO FEELIN' FO' DEM AT ALL. NOW, HE KIN DO IT, PROB'BLY HE WILL, BUT SHE WON'T HAVE NONE - NO FEELIN' FO' HIM AT ALL. [This Same nO feeling WIll alsO be found in No.3569.] DEN OTHAH WAYS ABOUT IT. Ah kin take her sock or 'er stockin's an' ah kin cut dat off ag'in, an' not even tie dem nine knots. Jes' cut it off an' take an' go tuh de woods. Now, ah'm goin' tuh de woods an' ah git me whut chew call herb stuff, now. Ah'm goin' tuh de woods an' ah git me whut chew call a holly leaf. Yo' [think] it's some Christmas holly wit berries on 'em, but dere's othah holly leafs hasn't got no berries on 'em - got dose sharp thorns on de leaves of 'em. Now, ah'm goin' dere an' take dose thorns. Ah'm gon'a git me nine leaves an ah'm gon'a break off all dose thorns on de leaves. Aftah ah done cut dat end of dat sock off, put it intuh a mere bottle - a half a pint flask. Put dose nine thorns offa all, each one, of dose leaves intuh dat bottle. An' aftah ah put it intuh dat bottle, den ah takes me a little of whut dey call - it's a water lily, it grows in de water. [This is probably the white-flowered species (Crinum amer- icanum), popularly called swamp lily (see 3246) of the southern United States.] Gits a bud outa dat. An' aftah ah gits dat bud outa dat, den I gits me jes' a leetle bit of salt, an' about, jes' aroun' about, a tablespoonful of hot peppah whut dey call red peppah. An' ah kin parch dat peppah [pod] now, or eithah ah kin let it be [buy it] in de cans. An' put it in dere wit dat an' stop dat bot- tle up. An' ah kin take dat bottle an' ah kin go home an' bury dat bottle any place in mah house ah wants tuh bury it. Take dese two fingahs [demonstrates].
(0f the right hand.)
Of de right hand.
(The index finger and then the finger next to the little finger?)
Dat's right. If she but been to mah house one time, ah kin take dese two fingahs heah an' git me a sharp match stem an' pick dese fingahs until dey bleed. Now her name is Miss H. M. Smith or H. M. Williams. Wit de blood of dat, dat come outa mah han's, ah writes 'er 'ritial - see, "H. M." See. An' puts dat in dat wit dat bottle an' bury dat bottle. Now, ah'm drivin' 'er tuh me, see. Ah'm bringin' 'er tuh me. Ah'm not drivin' 'er from me. Ah'm bringin' 'er tuh me. See. Now hit gotta set dere fo' nine mawnin's, an' aftah dese nine mawnin's den, in de tenth mawnin' yo' see her comin'. Don't kere who she is, she'll come.
Entry 3697
[To draw blood is a common remedy against witchcraft - see Nos.485-487 and elsewhere in HOODOO. That explains the use of many of the sharp-pointed instruments in hoodoo; the witch being afraid of cutting herself and drawing blood. Penis captivus and impotence, like all ailments and disabilities - in fact just about every misfortune in life - comes from a spell put on you.]
(Well, is there any way of getting them apart?)
De only way to git 'em apart is fer dem to git a ole doctor - young doctor don't know of it, but git a ole doctor. Ah've been told by mah fathah to take a penknife, a penknife an' stick it right in de hollah of de foot, an' den he'll bleed an' dat will disconnect 'im.
(What is a penknife?)
[Even in my boyhood penknife was becoming rare.]
Very small.
Entry 3839
[Ah] heah 'em say, if yo' got a man, someone yo' love an' he leave yo', yo' haven't got 'is pichure, why yo' take a needle an' pick till yo' git de blood out de little fingah heah [demonstrates].
(That's the little finger of the left hand.)
Yes, an' yo' git de blood out of it an' yo' have a pen, yo' know a ink pen, an' a piece of papah. An' yo' write it jis' like yo' would be writin', an' write his name, an' denwrite yores undah it; an' draw 'is pichure, if yo' haven't nary one of 'is pichure. An' nine a'clock at night yo'll put it undahneat' de chimley, de no't [north] cornah, de no't side of de chimley. Put 'is pichure dere an' 'is name an' yore name. An' put it - life up de foot of yore baid an' put it undahneat' dere nine days. He comin' back.
Entry 4000
[If dey] hoodoo yuh at yuh place, tell yuh whut yuh do. Yuh go, yuh take some black molasses or else black [dark brown crude] sugar - molasses. Yuh take some cinnamon an' yuh take dere urinate, like yuh urinate tuhnight. Yuh don't let nobody touch dat. Yuh mix all dat tuh- gethah an' yuh go an' yuh scrub it. An' yuh scrub it aroun' an' yuh put it all down. Dat's tuh keep de police - de policeman'll come an' yuh'll see de policeman will pass. It goin' tuh draw a lot of flies - yo' see, dat sweet'nin' goin' tuh draw a lot of flies. De policeman will git - he'll git mos' [most] dere an' he'll turn aroun' an' go back. He'll have a mind tuh go in - yuh see yuh got, yuh get dose policeman but on dat beat. Yuh undahstan'? Yuh git dat one on dat beat. Well, if like yuh say, he intahfere wit business. Dey wouldn't be, only it de govern- ment man. It's all de same, yuh know. Yuh jis' take dis an' yuh jis' keep 'em. All dat will jis' bring in a crowd [of customers], dat cinnamon an' dat sugah an' dat. An' take some, take a lodestone an' put it all aroun' dere an' yuh scrub wit it an' jis' take dat an' do like dat. When de policeman come, yuh'll stan' up an' yuh talk wit 'im. Let 'im walk right on it. Don't be scared. He'll talk wit yuh an' when he come in he'll look aroun'. De policeman will be doin', he'll look aroun'. Yuh take yuh some cinnamon [bark], an' yuh take dat an' yuh be chewin' it. Yuh see, as dey be comin' on in dere an' yuh let 'em look like dey goin' searchin', look fo' de likkah [liquor], all yuh be doin' jis' aroun', stirrin' aroun', chewin' yuh cinnamon. An' yuh'll take yuh - like yuh be's here an' yuh think dey are comin' an' yuh start tuh scrubbin' like yuh always scrub. Aftah while dey'll say, "Aw, come on, let's go. Dere ain't nuthin here. Dat jis' low-down done [information] we got. We didn't git de dope, de right dope." Yuh see, den dey go away. Yuh keep de policeman away. Well, dey won't come back.
Entry 5042
Den dey take de worn stockin' - change de stockin's an' den dey take de stockin's an' put 'em in a bundle in de mattress, yuh know. An' yuh put dem stockin's an' tie it tight dataway - tie two stockin's tuhgethah an' yuh put it in de middle of yore bed, undah de sheet of de bed. De stock- in' will be up heah. An' den dey'll have ah - dey'll put some strings in dere. Dey'll have a string tied. An' dey draws a pitchure of dereself wit a pencil. Ah seed [saw] a woman do dat mahself. Ah know she done dis. She takes a pencil an' she draws. Ah don' know what pitchure she did draw, but she'll take dat sock an' she'll put it down dere. An' she'll take dat thing dat she draws an' she'll put undah dat same place. An' dat man cain't leave her.
(You don't know what she draws on there?)
No, she won't let me see dat.
Entry 5236
Take yore left - take dis sole out chure left shoe, dat inside [insole] out chure shoe, an' yo' take dat sole an' yo' take solid brown papah. YO' EVAH SEEN A TERRAPIN? Cut it [brown paper] in shape of a terrapin. De shoe, dat's in shape of a terrapin. De shoe, dat's in ordah - now, if yo' wanted tuh Zingah a person, yo' know, fix 'em so dey be lingahin' all de time. An' yo' cut dis piece of brown papah an' cut dat shoe sole [insole] an' yo' ball it up in a new piece of homespun. Take dis piece an' de same shoe dat yo' taken it out of, an' slip it back in dey house. Yo' know, lak peoples shoe is settin' roun' dere an' yo' take de sole out. Well, maybe yo' be smart enough tuh git it back in de house, an' yo' put dis piece of papah in it. Well, de nine days aftah dey git tuh weah dis shoe, dey foot begin tuh swell up an' dere ankle an' yo' cain't tell [the cause of the swelling]. Well, if dey take dat piece of - DAT. SOLE DEY GOT OUT OF YORE SHOE, IF DEY MAKE 'WAY WIT IT COMPLETE AN' FO'GIT ABOUT WHERE DEY PUT IT, WHY YO'LL NEVAH BE CURED. DERE'S NOBODY IN DE WORLD WILL EVAH CURE YO'. (If you want to make this person linger, you take this sole out of his shoe. Now, what do you do with this brown paper?) Yo' take dat papah an' put it back in dere shoe, in de toe of dere shoe. Yo' know it's kind of a tissue papah, li'le thin papah. Dey put it in de toe of dere shoe jes' as fur as yo' kin git it. An' whenevah yo' do dat, dey weah de shoe. Maybe dey weah de shoe out an' don' evah know dat papah is in de shoe. An' when- evah dey do 'way fo' yo', jes' lak anybody come in wit anythin' an' throw it down an' fo'git about where dey put it.
(Do they put the inner sole back in the shoe?)
No suh, keep it. If dey git holt of dat dey kin git cured.
(You take that sole [insole] out.and you put this paper in the shoe?)
Put it in de shoe. Cut it in de shape of a terrapin.
Entry 7198
Yo' take an' make a circle wit chalk an' when yo' make dat circle, den yo' make a "x" yo' know. When yo' make dat "x" - when yo' make de circle dat's God. (The circle is God?) Yes sir, an' de "x" de firs' lettah is de - circle is God an' de firs' cross is God de Father, an' de nex' one is God de Holy Spirit. (Where do you make this circle with the cross? Where do you make it? Where do you draw that?) Well, right in de room where whutevah wus taken from it. [Here I turn off recording machine. What informant says, I restart machine and repeat the lost information.] (You make a circle on the wall or on the floor. And you put an "x" inside. And then inside the "x" you do what?) Well, when yo' done make dat "x" in Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, den yo' wish whut chew want 'em tuh do. Jis' carry it right roun' jis' lak dat. (You mean just carry this circle around. You mean you keep marking the chalk around?) Yes, jis' make a roun' ring. Have yo' got a pencil? An' ah give it tuh yo' aftah [return it] right away. (Wait a minute! You draw the circle [I demonstrate]. That's God the Father. Then you [I demonstrate]. That's the Son. And [I demonstrate] Holy Ghost.) An' make yore wishes whut chew want. (And you keep going around and around and around. Like turning a wheel around.) Yo' do dat three time, three Godhead.
[I demonstrate again.]
You draw a line right through that circle and call the son, then you draw another line across it and say the Holy Ghost, and then you keep drawing that circle around and around and around, while you make your wishes for them to bring that article back that they have stolen.) Long as yo' speakin' of whut chew want done, yo' jis' keep yuh han' goin' roun' an' roun'.
Entry 7228
[I met a galaxy of doctors in Charleston, S. Car., before I had suffi- cient experience to handle them. Two years later I would have been better pre- pared. Moreover the weather was excessively hot and the hotel rooms noisy at night. There was little rest. The fol- lowing doctor, Maguin or San Mongain was rather strange. At that time I thought all of them were! This man has already appeared in: No.1221, p.434; No.1417, p.464; No.1638, p.507; and No.2209, p.629.] (Well, now, how would a person harm me if they got a hold of my foot track? How would they hurt me with that?) How would he hurt chew wit dat? He'd take yore foot track an' carry it tuh de graveyard. An' tuh take it back from de graveyard, yo' gotta throw dis dirty watah undah yore house. An' tuh kill de spell from dere an' [to] drive de evil spirit, den begin burnin' dragon blood at twelve o'clock at night in dat ole shoe [this rite partially given in No.1221, p.434, v.1.]. (What would he do with this track if he took it to the graveyard? What would he do with it out there?) When he take de track to de graveyard, he put it tuh de haid of de graveyard [grave] an' pay dem one cent, calls yore name an' tole 'em tuh mind 'im. An' durin' de time dat he done take it tuh de graveyard, yore foot track, yo' come back home an' throw it ovah [under]neath yore house. An' go an' git dis gum-bush an' let it stay in yore house fer three days an' burn it. An' de pusson will come back an' go back tuh de graveyard an' git dis track an' turn yo' loose.
Entry 7417
Jes' lak if a person git killed out dere. Well, dat person be yore frien' or prob'ly yore brothah or some of yore folks, but anyway he got killed an' nobody knows how it done it. All right, yo' goes dere where he would lingah at, jes' lak yo' fin' 'im daid. Dere could be a multitude [do it], could be dat, or de othah one do it. Yo' goes right dere where dey fin' 'im at, an' make two cross marks [demonstrates]: one lak dat, one lak dat, an' one lak dat, an' den cross 'em, an' right in de centah of dat middle one, yo' take yo' a pin - jes' a ord'nary pin. Yo' know, jes' a straight pin an jes' drive it right down in de middle of dat mark, right dere, press it right down in it lak dat. An' whensomevah yo' press dat pin down in dere, see, yo backs out from dat mark an' don't chew say a word to nobody. Don' care who come 'long dere an' say sompin to yo', don't chew say nary [not even] a good [morning]. Back nine steps from dere, an' in less time den nine days dey goin' come an' give up, whosomevah i'tis [it is]. Even [if] it be his own brothah.
[The pin is driven down in center of square of the tick-tack-toe design.]
(This cross is made like this [I demonstrate], something like that. There are two lines like that and two lines crossing it?)
[I drew a tick-tack-toe as follows: #.]
Dat's right. No, dere's one dere an' one dere - dere, jes' lak dat. Den yo' make two crosses dere jes' lak dat, in dat one right dere. An' right in de cen- tah of dat one, yo' put dis.
(The cross you make is like playing tick-tack-toe?)
[Here is the special double-double cross #.]
Dat's right.
Entry 7632
Yo' kin take de graveyard dirt an' boll it an' put it in a bottle dat kin broke easy. An' yo' an' a person come in contact, dey fixin' tuh fight [you], if yo' git a chance tuh break dat bottle ovah dere haid an' cut dem an' bring de blood out, why dey'll linger an' pine away an' die. (You do that if you think you are going to get into a fight, get into a fight with anyone?) Yes. See, see him comin', why crack dat bottle ovah his head an' bring a little bit of blood an' let de watah run down. [I suggest that the graveyard dirt is boiled to arouse the captured spirit of the graveyard dirt to fighting madness.]
Entry 7703
(This grave board?)
Dat's right. Wal, yo' take dat an' yo' draw de name ovah [offa] it, jes' lak dat person's been daid. Now, if a person's been daid an' yo' wants tuh see 'em, Wan' 'em tuh come tuh yuh or sompin lak dat, yo' take dat an' draw is name ovah [offa] dat bo'rd, steam it, jes' lak dat, an' yo' read de 37th Psalm, an' he'll come befo' yo' end [the Psalm] an' talk tuh yuh.
(What do you mean by drawing that name off?)
[Had the name been on a tombstone a rubbing could have been taken.]
Jes' draw it off on a tablet - papah.
(You just put the paper on there and draw it?)
No, jes' draw it off wit a pencil on de paper, jes' lak it dah [there] an' den yo' see, yo' put dat [paper with name] on yore haid wit de [while you read de] Bible. An' yo' read dat [Psalm] an' he'll come an' talk tuh yo', an' tell yo' whut chew want.
Entry 7708
Dey kin draw yo' on a tombstone [or headboard] an' long as dem lines [remain] where dey draws yo' at; dey molt away, [I mean], yo' molt away wit dem. See?
(As that person in the grave molts away, you will molt away?)
Yo' molt away.
(Well, how would they draw you on that tombstone?)
Maybe have - dey done took yuh photo from somewhere. See, yo' [theyl done took yuh photo. Well, dey kin take yuh photo an' give it tuh somebody who know how tuh retrace it an' draw it, an' dey kin draw yo' lak dat. [An easier method would be to draw a circle adding ears, eyes, mouth and initials or call name. Informant good, has the right idea but complicates it.]
Entry 7743
Yo' go out tuh de fo'ks of de road now, lak if yo' have a boy friend an' yo' want 'im tuh go, or if yo' wan' 'im tuh come back. Yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road, de heart of de road heah, an' take yore foot or else a long stick an' make a, yo' know, a trench long enough tuh spread salt an' sulphur [demonstrates]. (You make a trench like that.) Yes, tuh each one of de fo'ks of de road. Yo' know when de road fo'ks, it fo'ks sompin lak dat [demonstrates]. Well, yo' take an' make yore lines sompin lak dat [demonstrates].
(Make and "x".)
Yes. An' yo' have yore salt an' yore sulphur an' graveyard dirt an' yo' put it in dere, sprinkle it down. Have enough tuh put in dere, an' den yo' tell it whut tuh do. Yo' use graveyard dirt, dat's very good.
(What did you tell it to do now?)
Well now, lak now, if yo' want dem tuh come back. Or if yo' want 'em tuh [be] gone, say, "Go", whichevah direction yo' want. Say, "Go, dis way or dat way, or dat way, an' don't nevah return." But if yo' say, "Wherevah yo' are, if yo' in de no'th, so'th, east or west, come back tuh me."
(You can do it either way?)
Yes.
Entry 7932
It was a woman that had a son in New York [City] and she lived in Ports- mouth [Va.]. And this body had killed someone. This woman heard of this boy being in trouble, and she goes to work hanging clothes out that morning. She draws a mark on the ground like a coffin. She draws that with a clothespin, no particular place. She was talking with another neighbor. She says, "My son will be to me in a few minutes." She just put her hands like this. [Informant evidently demonstrated with his hand, but I repeating his every word, or small group of them into the Ediphone, was too busy to comment. Comments would come later wdth the Ediphone.] And in two days times the sheriff or the consta- ble where he was, brought her son back to Portsmouth. He Was condemned to be hung. [This in 1928, interview in 1936.]
Entry 7933
I have heard of them drawing a ring in the ground, and they make the shape of a coffin in the ring. Then you make a mark like this [a straight line lengthwise] through the center of the coffin, and take seven grains of pepper seed and put all up and down that mark and cover it over. Then you draw a mark through the coffin like this [a straight line crosswise]. And they can't get by there. They're going to drindle [dwindle] and drindle. Nothing will do you no good. You're going away from there. That doesn't aim to put you to death at once, that just puts a spell on you and you never get over it. They put that on the path or at the gate where you can't miss it. [Despite my comment in the preceding rite, in the present one I actually managed to squeeze in two comments to show that one straight line bisected the length, the other the width of the coffin.] [The informant's father was a well-known cunjure man, but the son has not been very successful in carrying on the work.]
Entry 7976
Well, yo' kin take anybody's pitchure an' draw de shape of a coffin on a green tree, an' nail it up an' shoot it. Dey'll die. (You put this picture on the 'shape of that coffin on the tree?) Yes sir an' shoot it.
Entry 7983
Take a new board an' draw a person yo' dislike an' yo' want 'em tuh die. Jis' take a new board an' yo' draw dere pitchure on dat new board. An' git a box of sulphuh dat have nevah been opened, an' a box of saltpetah dat have nevah been opened, an' put on dere. An' take dat pitchure an' bury it an' dem peo- ple take sick, an' jis' lingah an' lingah an' de firs' thing yo' know dey'll be daid.
Entry 7984
Jes' lak if yo' wan' tuh do 'way wit a person, lak if yo' wan' tuh draw a person, well yo' jes' make it out chure mind, but choo draw dat person's pitchure. Well yo' draw 'is pitchure an' yo' put a coffin [put it in a coffin]. (You draw the figure in the coffin?) Yes sir, dat's right. An' den yo' take hit an' bury it at dere steps, see. Den draw it also....
[Here is the information given while machine was stopped:]
(You draw this person's picture on a piece of paper, and then you drav a coffin around it?) Dat's right. An' den yo' draw anothah one an' put it at de do' where dey kin see dat, an' tell 'em whut will become of 'em, see. Well, aftah yo' draw dis - yo' done buried de one, de firs' one - let me see, well, now dey begin tuh read dat lettah an' dey see dat. Well, dat gits dere spirit tuhgethah an' it begin tuh grieve dem den, an' dey worry ovah it an' finely [finally] dey come tuh perish away.
(You do that to let them know you are doing the work against them?)
Dat's right.
Entry 8116
They kin take a egg, draw their pitchure on dis egg, bury it with the face to the sun, an' it will cause 'em to be in trouble.
Entry 8229
Tuh break up a home, well yo' kin take gunpowdah.
(How would you use that?)
Well yo' would take de gunpowdah an' yo' draw a pichure lak it's fo' two peo- ple. Yo' draw 'em jis' lak dey goin' tuh fight - yo' know how chil'ren kin draw funny pichures - jis' lak dey goin' tuh fight. Yo' takes de gunpowdah an' nine pinches of salt, an' nine pinches of red peppah, an' yo' put it in de stove an' make yure wishes. An' dat breaks 'em up. (Well, what do you do with the picture then?) Well, yo' take de pichure perhaps an' stand it on de head an' put it in a dark closet.
(No, this picture that you draw. What do you do with that?)
Oh, what you drew. Yo' burns dat. Yo' writes dere names on dis papah. Yo' draws on a plain piece of white papah, den yo' takes dis pichure, de man's havin' a fight, yo' puts de gunpowdah in dere, nine pinches, nine pinches of salt, an' nine pinches of cayenne peppah, red peppah. An' den yo' put it in de stove fo' nine mawnin's.
(I see, you put the stuff into the picture?)
Yeah.
(You have to draw that thing nine times?)
Uh-huh. Yo' don't have tuh draw it zactly [exactly] lak 'em, but yo' draw it lak a man if yo' kin or do it lak a woman, see.
(Well, do you do that over again and again?)
Ovah ag'in fer nine mawnin's.
Entry 8286
If yo' wanta harm a person, kill a person, say fo' instance, yo' kin draw de fo'm [form] of dat per- son as neah as yo' kin, yo' know. If it's a woman, yo' draw de fo'm of a woman; if it's a man, yo' draw de fo'm of a man. An' yo' git chew a tenpenny nail an' yo' kin go tuh a tree out some- where, an' yo' nail dat fo'm up on dat tree. An' yo' kin take dat powdah outa dat shell, an' yo' kin take a li'le of dat powdah. Yo' go dere fo' nine mawnin's an' yo' take a li'le of dat powdah an' put it aroun' dat nail in dere. Den yo' shoot dat pichure fo' nine mawnin's. An' dat'll kill a person or eithah put 'em in such a shape dat dey'll jis' wanta be daid.
(You don't do anything with that powder at all?)
No, yo' jis' - aftah yo' use a li'le aroun' dat nail, when yo' firs' put de pichure up dere. Put a li'le of dat powdah right aroun' dat nail. Den yo' kin use dat - shoot dat pichure fo' nine mawnin's. But yo' kin use de powdah fo' woman, miscarriage...
Entry 8287
Dey take yore pichure an' draw it in willah [willow] tree an' run a speah through yer heart. See, shape yer heart an' put a speah through yer heart. An' dey shoot yer pichure nine times an' dat'll cuz yo' tuh drag until yo' die. Well, AH HAVE SAW DAT CUZ AH SAW IT ON DE BAYOU, de photo Wuz in de trE. (An ordinary photograph? Or do you draw the form of that photograph?) Yes [you draw the form as informant stated]. An' dey put it in de tree an' dey made dere wish, but dey put some kinda - dey put lode- stone in it, too, an' dey put dat blood, dragon's blood in it, an' dey had a speah through de heart. Yo' know, lak yo' speah it through de heart. An' dey shot it nine times, shot de heart nine times.
Entry 8474
When yo' call a person's spirit, twelve 'clock at night, yo' draws on a person.
(Draw her picture?)
Draw his pichure. Git 'is name an' address. Yo' set [in] a dark room by yo'- self. Yo' take a sheet an' put it ovah yo' haid, wit chure eyes out so yo' kin see. Yo' set a li'le bit of whiskey in a glass [to draw his spirit back, spirits lov- ing whiskey, see ALCOHOL FOR an' yo' gotta memorize de person name, an' yo' call 'is name three times. Durin' de time yo's callin' 'is name, take a needle wit chure lef' han' an' punch nine holes in it. (Nine holes in what?) Nine holes in de pichure, in de form what chew draws. An' when yo' done cut de nine holes in it an' yo' watch de pichure an' blow on it. An' durin' de time aftah yo' done blowin' on it, an' if yo' hit it again tuh [do something] den chew light yo' lamp. Aftah dat, den yo' set a match tuh it. See what side she [match] bendin'; if she bend going, if she bend comin' back. She'll [match will] fall back in yuh hands. If she [match] bend goin', goin' de direc- tion she [or hel was [had departedl. she'll [match'll] fall dat way; an' if she [match leans to] dis side, she'll fall dat side; an' if she's [woman's] comin' back, she'll [match'll] fall right up in de woman form. [She] come right on back tuh you. [Informant alternating the sexes is confusing.] An' durin' de time dat dey bring 'er back, yo' git up an' yo' take yo' dishrag an' wring it ovah de do' an' call 'er name. Dat's cases if she gone an' leave yo'. If she gone an' leave yuh, if she leave any she [not her] clothes in dere lak a dress or pettycoat, lak dat, jes' take an' ball it up an' put it 'neat' chure pillah an' she will come back less dan three day's time, if she's able tuh, if she's in de city.
(That's to bring the woman back. You are calling her spirit back that way.)
Yes sir.
Entry 8522
(How do you do that?)
Well, yo' use a coconut to make a person come to yo'. Yo' take an' pluck out de eyes, but yo' don't let that water come out of there. And you take the name and put it upon this Venrick [brand name?] parch- ment [paper imitation] and put it in there, inside, and you seals it up with the wax that drops from the candle. And just roll it. Start from the front door and be rollin' back inside an' speak to it just like yo' speakin' to 'em an' call 'em by their name. That'll draw 'em to you.
(That will make them come back.)
Entry 8588
Then if ah want this woman an' ah can't get to her, ah kin take mah e 'er name first at de top, my name second at de bottom, her name third an' my name fourth. See, ah ain't got to write it but four times. An' ah fold dat papah. Every time ah fold dat papah, ah fold it to me, an' ah leave it wit three corners, an' have all three of those corners turned to me. An' ah put dat in de lamp, an' ah lights dat lamp, an' ah'll burn dat lamp slowly. Ah turn dat lamp on at seven o'clock. (Seven o'clock in the morning or the evening?) Seven o'clock in de mawn- in'. Ah burn dat lamp slowly till six in de evening. Den ah turn dat lamp down low. See, ah won't blow dis lamp out. Instead of me blowing de lamp out, ah ketch it an' pinch de wick of it. An' see every time ah pinch de wick of it, dat makes it burn on your mind. Dat burn yore name into mine an' my name into yours. Well, dat draws de mind of yo' to me, see. Dat drawin' yore mind.
(You pinch the wick out?)
Ah pinch de wick out.
(Out of where?)
Pinch it plumb out, pinch it till it goes out. See.
(I see.)
As long as it burn - pinching on dat wick [demonstrates] ah'll pinch dat lamp, pinch dat wick plumb out.
(You pinch it with both hands?)
Yassuh, wit both hands till ah pinch it out.
Entry 8622
(Suppose I want to keep the law away from that bootlegging joint, what would I do? How would I keep the law away? Any particular way?) Well, they have several dif- (4) ferent kind of way to keep de law away, if yo' want de law dat is on dis beat. Now, well, let's fix up - we want de law away. Of course, if we go to work an' work direct on de police on de force, dat Wouldn't stop 'em from raidin'. Now, listen! Let's see what we going to do about stoppin 'em raidin' in general. All right. Yo' going to get de chief of detectives, yo' goin' to get de chief of police, yo' goin' to get de captain's name, yo goin' to get everybody dat's in authority over dat group, which, if they goin' to raid, dey'd have to go up to dese particular men before dey can make a raid. Do yo' get de idea?
(I see.)
It got to come from dem. Well, we'll start wit dem. We are not concerned wit de ordinary man, dat is, de common ordinary police officer. We get de head of 'em. Well, we take dat head in dere an' we are goin' to draw a round ring six inches from de centah - a round ring. We goin' to place all dose names in dat ring on parchment papah.
[No ordinary paper for the important police!]
(Six inches from the center - that is, the diameter will be twelve inches then?) Yeah, just de same [demonstrates] if yo' say six inches from here [center of circle] an' yo' just hold it [a string] dere an' yo' go aroun' [draw the circle].
(The circle is twelve inches in diameter?)
Yeah, twelve inches in diameter.
(All right.)
Now, yo' going to take each one of dose officers - see, de twelve of 'em dat's in authority. [Informant is surely thinking of the 12 signs of the Zodiac rather than the 12 Apostles; the signs to protect place of business from police all year.] Yo' goin' to place 'em direct in dat center an' yo' goin' to sweeten 'em up. An' aftah yo' sweeten dem up.
(How do you sweeten them up?)
Well, yo' can takd dis Lureen Oil [surely Zuring oil, an oil to lure the police], dat Oil of Lureen, when it come for anything beneficial, all good things, this is to use for dat most particular purpose [beneficial to oneself]. Like yo' can use seven drops of dat Oil of Lureen, an' aftah yo' use it round in dere, why yo' goin' to take what yo' call a tappan[?] beans come from Central America.
(What kind of a bean?)
Dat's a bean come from.... Central America, from Las.... G....de capital of Las....
(What do you call those beans, what is the name of them?)
Santoine[?] beans.
(Santoine[?] beans and where do they come from?)
Central America.
(From where? You said some place in Central America?)
Well, sir, G....is the capital of Las....but dey bring 'em from G....to Las.... an' dat's de seaport.
(I see. All right.)
Now, why each one of dose names I done going to take pure white thread. It made kind of like wit four corners an' it grows in a bean [pod] an' dere may be twelve in one bean [pod], eight or ten, like dat. Yo' take it an' yo' sew it right in de center of dat name. Like my name would be Paul B. Dickson. Where the "D" at, yo' could write it twixt de "D" right in de center. An' whosomevah [whatever policeman] go back there [in your place of business, you complain to him] an' say, "Well, this is a quiet zone an' they raisin' Sam an' singing over there. Ah can't sleep at night. How yo' want me to work an' I'se lonesome an' all of that stuff." "Well, all right, " [says the officer] "we'll take care of dat." An' before he [officer] gets out of there [your place of business], dat stuff [you prepared] got him. (How do you do that? You sew one of these beans on each one of those names? Then what do you do with that parchment, then?) On [a bean on] each one of dose name. Den yo' take dat parchment an' yo' just fold it in like that an' just take it ovah dere an' put it in [your] show- case. Just keep it anywhere. Then it has a tendency to - wheresomevah your funds at, yo' can keep it right in yore funds an' it has a tendency to draw funds.
(You mean, the money?)
Yeah.
(In your money box where you keep your money?)
Yeah.
(I see.)
Entry 8831
And they knows yore handwritin' - get holt of it, dey can.
(What will they do?)
Well, dey will take dat han'writin' an' dey kin cross-write yore han'writin', yo' see, so ah'm told. Cross-write yore han'writin', jes' like yo' write a lettah straight; well, now, dey'll go 'cross it.
(I'll write it straight?)
Straight, an' dey'll turn it [the paper upside down] an' go across it. (I see, just cross it - just turn the paper around and cross it.) Cross it, see. Dey turn de Papah aroun' an' cross it. Well, when dey cross it, den dey'll fold dat papah differently, yo' see. An' dey'll puts it in a draw, draw it with heat or watah, see. An' aftah drawin' it with heat or watah; de sweat from dat papah is what dey uses, yo' see. Well, if dey use dat sweat, dey got yore han' jes' de same, yo' see. An' dey put it in a bottle an' use it, cause yore han' tuh swell up. Dey put salt, peppah an' alum in it an' dey'll lay it in a place undah de step, an' it will cause yore hand to swell.
Entry 8873
Dey take yore han'writin' an' draw [up] yore fingahs, see.
(How do they do that?)
Dey tell me dey take dat han'writin', a lettah - jes' lak ah write chew a lettah an' yo' wanta do sompin tuh me. When yo' git mah lettah, why yo' satis- fied. Well, yo' take mah lettah dat ah wrote chew an' yo' put it in a halfa glass of vinegah an' alkeehäl [alcohol]. Well, dey say den, if ah try tuh write, ah can't write. Mah fingahs an' mah veins will commence tuh draw. See, dey jes' commence tuh draw an' finely [finally] why ah gits lak a person deformed or sompin. Ah can't do nuthin becuz yo' got mah fingahs tied up intuh vinegah an alkeehal. Yo' see, it's strong. Well, dat jes' got mah veins tied. Ah can't write. Ah kin try but ah can't do nuthin.
Entry 8929
I know a case about a fellow name of William Mitchell. He broke in a fellah's house an' he stole some suits. An' he [a hoodoo investigator] goes on to this house there an' he seen where he broke in that house. An' they suspected this man, which it was. An' they took William Mitchell name an' they buried William Mitchell name at the back steps. They bury this at the back steps an' walks on down, an' they sprinkle some sugar, yo' know, out to de trail. An' as yo' go out, say, "William Metchell, Willy Mitchell, Willy Mitchel." Yo' gotta say it nine times, yo' see. "Yo' re- turn them goods." Yo' see. But he did return de goods, but I'll tell yo' how he did return them goods. He returned them goods in another party's house - under de house, yo' know. So he [doctor] told de party [hiring him], he say, "I seen de people who broke in dat house an' I seen where they cached de stuff." [Doctor saw this in a vision or by other means]. Yo' see? But dat sugar - yo' see when yo' sprinkle it out there, yo' see [you sprinkle] behin' 'im. An' they had his name down there nine times an' they had it crossed - across it nine time an' with that circle. Well, he couldn't get rid of de stuff. De stuff was found at another house before they was - under de house - but he did take de stuff, all right.
Entry 9284
People say dat chew could take an' write a person's name on de aig an' throw it ovah de top of dey house.
(What will that do?)
Dat will cuz dem tuh move. An' den too, dey say it cuzes confusion. An' sometimes dey say, if yo' sellin' whiskey, it will cuz de law yo' know, tuh stay round de.house all de time. (It will cause the law to stay around?) If de aig busts, but if de aig don' bust, why dere ain't nuthin tuh it. (Do you use any kind of an egg?) Yo' use a black - no, it's gotta be a round aig, a real round aig; no square aig atall. It's gotta be round. [For shapes of eggs, see also R00STER EGG, No.9348f., p.3753.1
(From any kind of a chicken?)
Any kind of a chicken, jes' so's [so is] it a round aig.
Entry 9340
At a certain time of de yeah - ah tell yo' 'bout de hen aigs. Dey say yo' kin take de aigs an' draw peoples pitchures on 'em. Dat's whut ah hear'd. An' yo' know, put de person's 'nitials undah de aig. An' dey say yo' go where dat person walk an' put de aig dere, an' say whut chew wanta say an' throw it down. When dat person walk ovah it, it'll happen lak yo' wanted it tuh happen. Dat de only [thing] ah hear'd about de aig.
Entry 9341
Dey can do a lot of things with chicken eggs.
(Well, for instance?)
Ah saw a woman once with a chicken egg. She had 'im - her man an' her was mad an' she wanted him tuh, yo' know, die, bump him off. She had his pitchure drawed on dat egg, an' she taken dat egg an' she had hulled a lemon out, a large lemon, an' she put it in dere. An' she went back an' buried it in de cornah of de yard, undah de steps at de cornah of de yard.
(What happened?)
Well, he died.
(It killed him?)
Killed him.
(Was that all she had to do?)
Yes, dat was all she had tuh do.
Entry 9400
Ah heard dat chew take a aig an' yo' put de person lettah [initial] on it. Jes' lak - ah heard it dis way - if somebody's goin' wit yore man, yo' write de firs' lettah of 'is name an' put a ring round it. Den yo' write de firs' lettah of yore name an' put a ring roun' dat. Den write de firs' lettah of de person name dat goin' wit mah man an' put a ring roun' dat. Den go all de way roun' de aig lak dat. Den yo' jes' brand it all, fes' lak mark it all ovah dat aig. (What kind of marks?) Jes' tell me yo' jes' write whatevah yo' want it tuh do. (You just mark the egg up?) Yes. An' den yo' take it tuh dat person's house an' throw it up in de house an' cuss 'em an' tell 'em whut jew mean fo' 'em tuh do. Dat fix dem. (In other words if some other woman was going with your man, that is what you would do to get rid of her?) Yes. Ah knew a woman dat 'er husban' done go 'way from 'er 'bout three yeahs, an' when he come back - he used tuh come back an' he used tuh treat her so mean. Aftah he come [back] tuh 'er [after 3 years] an' he didn't bring anything - an' she used tuh wanta git rid of 'im. An' she did dis same thing wit aig. An' he sure did leave den an' nevah did been back.
Entry 9683
They say that if a person doesn't like you, they'll draw a ring in the road right at your house and they'll sprinkle salt, soda, ashes, lime, other chemicals, sulphur. That will keep you from being an enemy against him. SPRINKLE IN IT: ASHES - LIME - SALT - SODA - SULPHUR
Entry 9746
You take nine nails and nail each one of 'em at nine o'clock every moming for nine mornings jis' acrost de door. On de first morning de first nail is driven into the wood at the edge of the front step; on the second morning the second nail is driven nearer the house; etc., until the nails form a straight line from the edge of the steps across the doorsteps into the house. An' the ninth morning he's comin' back. [This is my original transcription made in 1937 a short time after the recording: The voice came through badly but everything has been recovered and reproduced here.]
Entry 10871
If yo' were asleep, a person kin take dat cat - pretend like yo' playing with de pet cat or somepin like dat. Well yo' [they] put dat cat hair in yo' food, see. An' yo' [someone] kin take a cat, if yo' sleeping, and lay dat cat right up dere aside of yo', and let dat cat inhale yo' breath an' yo' inhale de cat's breath. See, dat cat inhale yore breath, dat cat will draw yore breath jes' like yo' will draw anything else an' yo'll draw de cat. Jes' let him git close tuh yo' tuh inhale yore breath, jes' like anything else, an' den aftah he inhale yore breath yo'll nevah be de same. Jes' like yo' see a cat be, yo'll be jes' like dat.
Entry 11064
Dey tell me yo' gits a piece of newspapah, an' jes' lak dis yo' makes a 'V' lak dis. Keep a-makin' it lak dis, keep a-makin' it lak dis. Keep a-makin' it lak dis. Yo' make dat nine times dis way. Yo' take dat papah an' yo' stick it in front of yore steps an' put salt - covah it wit salt an' jes' pull it. Jes' pull it- dis part heah yo' turn it back dis way. Dat's fo' 'em not tuh come in, an' pull it dis way an' yo' turn dat back dis way. Bury dat undah yore step in front of yore do'way an' den come cross an' covah dat wit salt an' dat will make 'em stay out, dey say. (I want you to draw that for me to show me just how it is done. You make your mark right on that piece of paper - this is a newspaper now [let this be the piece of newspaper you mention; probably handed informant a sheet from my note- book]. What kind of mark do you make? [Informant makes a mark.l You make a mark sort of like a crescent, it goes to the right and comes back like that.) Now, dis means "stay out, don' come in." Now, if yo' want a person tuh come in dere. If a person out an' yo' want 'em tuh come in dere, yo' jes' turn it dis way [demonstrates]. Dat means 'come in.' Dis means [demonstrates] 'stay out." (Well, those half circles, crescents, when the arc of the half circle is out from the door, that means "come in.") Yo' understand dat. [I certainly did!]
Entry 11122
Draw a coffin, draw the person image in the cof- fin they want to die, then call [victim], then write their name, burn under incense smoke.
Entry 11835
I get some gumbo filet. That's what you put in gumbo. Perhaps you don't know what filet is. It's a leaf [from sassafras tree] that grows out in the woods, and it ground up and it is used instead of okra, when you making gumbo and the okra is not in sea- son. That is what you call filet. I get a pail of that and I get some garlic and some whiskey and mix those three together and pur [pour] it under the steps, or either if you come out of a alley, I pour it up side the alley, that you come out of, and you would have to go.
Entry 12141
Well, ah wuz sellin' whiskey once mahself, yo' see. Ah got me one bottle of Hearts Cologne an' put it on a table an' some powder. (What kind of powder?) Well, ah got dis heah regular bath powder. An' ah put it dere on de table where it would perfume roun' in de house. Mens comes in, different ones comin' in, well, de luck's on de house. Dat heart is lucky perfume yo' understand. Well, dey spends lots of money.
Entry 12403
To do that choo know they have to have some kind of powder, have a magic powder see. And when they scrub the doorsills every man who pass by till [it will] take notice. It brings men, see, but they have to have a sign, like some woman sent to the window or somepin of that sort, an' they pass by you wink or smile.
Entry 12769
(What do they do with that if they get hold of your blood?)
Dey kin git a hold of yo' blood an' have yo' kind of paralyzed; or have your blood stuffed, by taking it an' putting it in a certain place. An' yo'll have to use prickle feet an' bloodroot an' blackroot to run dat bad blood back, an' to run dat evil blood what de [they] wanna put dat stuff in. (What do they do with your blood, if they get hold of it?) Oh, dey cud take dat blood an' have silver plate put in it [put your blood in a silver plate]. By dat's chure blood an' yo' drawin' out de silver plate, an' yo'll have someone near, close to yuh, to give dat blood back to yuh, after yo' done draws it wit de silver plate. To have plates to be drawin' in yo', some of yo' close relatives.
(How can you get that blood back in you, then?)
They drink it. (And how do you fix these plates up to get that bad blood out of you again? How do you fix those roots up?) Well, you take de prickle feet an' yo' set it in whiskey. Yo' take de blood- root an' yo' set 'at in whiskey - right on de prickle feets. Yo' set de black- snake root right on de prickles feet root, an' drink it three spoonful a day.
(That gets the bad blood out of you?)
Take de bad blood out. (Well this fellow that gets your blood, what does he do to make it bad blood?) Set it in a silver plate. After he set it in de silver plate, de blood draws in de silver plate. Den he begin to scrape. Put hot water on dere, a little water, an' it draws dat back an' it start back to yuh by some kind of drink yo' use. Yo' best friend will give you dat. He cannot give it to yo', 'cause he cannot git to yuh. After he git dis blood, he'll have to git someone else to git to yuh.
Entry 12882
Scrub your home with sugar, cinnamon and wintergreen and you mop that out. Don't put no soap or no powder, just mop the place in. Always start at de sill of the door, mop it in. Then after that, take you some cinnamon and steel dust and sprin- kle all around into the home, just sprinkle it into the place - the four corners of the house. And that draws openers for you for business.